RALLY NEWS NO.7  Grandstand - service - Friday 4.45

UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 13 East Baldwin
1st (10) Jonny Milner/Nicky Beech (Corolla WRC) 1.20.23.0
2nd (15) Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (Ford Focus WRC) 1.20.50.2
3rd (14) Tapio Laukkanen/Ilka Riipinen (Imprezaa WRC) 1.21.00.3
4th (11) Derek McGarrity/Dermot O'Gorman (Impreza WRC) 1.24.12.4
5th (12) Kenny McKinstry/Noel Orr (Impreza WRC) 1.24.17.7
6th (8) Austin MacHale/Brian Murphy (Impreza WRC) 1.24.43.8
7th (19) Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Impreza WRC) 1.25.12.4
8th (5) Ryan Champion/Cliff Simons (Ford Puma) 1.26.43.8
9th (21) Seamus Leonard/Paul McLaughlin (Impreza N) 1.26.47.9
10th (1) Garry Jennings/Gordon Noble (Peugeot) 1.27.08.0

Stage 13 proved unlucky for James Thompson, the Touring Car Champion crashing his Mitsubishi off the road very close to the spot where Paul Bird crashed the Hyundai this morning. It is a tight tricky spot and Thompson's Lancer is reportedly well into a field after a right hander over a crest. The "OK Board" is up which means that James and co driver Plug Pulleyn are unhurt.

Fastest through stage 13 was Tapio Laukkanen, by 4s from Latvala with Milner a further half a second back. On stage 12 it was also Laukkanen fastest, by 4s from Latvala with Milner a further 6 back. Tapio commented at service "We had a good run, pushing quite hard, we have changed the set up slightly, harder compound tyres getting more grip."  Jonny Milner said "We were maybe caught napping in stage 12, the first one after service, but we hadn't a lot left. We tried hard in stage 13 and there was even less left, we did try a harder compound Pirelli, and it seemed to work well".  Jari-Matti Latvala was another to try harder compound tyres and he reckons it has cured the understeer on his Focus WRC, also Jari feels that he is going a little faster, as he gets more familiar with the stages.  Kenny McKinstry has moved up to 5th, ahead of Austin MacHale and breathing down Derek McGarrity's neck, McGarrity losing over a minute on that stage 13 with a rear right puncture. Derek feels he picked up some debris not long after the stage start where someone else spun, possibly Pesticcio. Leon is still having some clutch troubles with his Fiat Punto, but not as bad as previously.

Kenny McKinstry picked tyres that he had used earlier today, felt that they looked alright but it turned out to be a bit of a mistake. Otherwise, Kenny is having a good run, although he still does not have the total conviction that he would have had before the 3 minute puncture delay. 

In the Super 1600 category Ryan Champion pulled out 8s on Garry Jennings on stage 12, and a further 6 in stage 13, where Garry had a spin at a main road chicane. Although a long way back Steve Hill is still going in the Alfa despite 3 driveshaft breakages and of course Pesticcio still going.

Seamus Leonard continues to lead the gpN category with his series 9 Impreza, and that is despite a little worry over a long brake pedal. Michael Curran was up into 2nd in gpN but he has dropped back and indeed is going to retire here at service, his Lancer losing 1st, 4th gear and then 5th. This leaves his father Dickie back into 2nd in gpN, Dickie nursing a damaged clutch on his Lancer. Despite a puncture Aaron MacHale will now come into 3rd gpN. Dermot Hanafin 4th.

A quick recap on a few class places after stage 11 - Aisling Dooris led cl.N1 despite a damaged exhaust on her Swift with Harry Cathcart 2nd. Chris de Fortis led cl.2, his Honda running a 2nd hand engine from a scrapyard, the original unit having burst on the recent Ypres Rally. Marcus Foss  with Glenn Patterson on the notes led class 3 in his Almera. Christopher Boyce from Tony Kelly Cars is 2nd in that class in his Honda Civic type R. Glenn Wilson led cl.6 from Pat Kearney, (106 and 206 respectively). Elya Gold did lead cl.11 but he damaged the radiator in his Peugeot over a big jump and has since retired with a blown head gasket. Simon Wallis now leads that class.  More news later. BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON  www.rallynews.net